Method of joining pipes by electricity



(No Model.) 2 S11eetsSheet l.

E. THOMSON.

METHOD OF JOINING PIPES BY ELECTRICITY.

No. 385,384. Patented July 3, 1888.

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N. PETERS, Phelo-Lilhngnpher, wmin xm no.

(No Model.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. THOMSON.

METHUD OF JOINING PIPES BY ELECTRICITY.

Patented July 3, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

ELlHU THOMSON, OF LYNN, ASSlGNOR-TO THE THOMSON ELEOTRlO XVELDING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF JOINENG i iPES EY ELECTRlCiTY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,384, dated July 3, 1888.

Application filed August .32, 1887. Serial No. 247,506. ("So model.)

To all whom it may concern: pieces, P P, of pipe whose abutted ends are to Be it known that l, ELIHU THOMSON, a be joined. They are held,asshewn,in clamps citizen of the United States, and a resident of (l I), one of which appears on end in Fig. 2. Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of The clamps are insulatoditrom one another,

lllassachusettahaveinventedacertain new and and are connected by very solid and heavy 5 useful Method of Joining Pipes by Electricity, conductors, relatively much larger than are of which the following is specification. shown in the figure, with a source of currents The object of my invention is to produce of suflicient power to heat that portion of the tight and strong pipejoints; and the invenpipes between the clamps O D to the requisite tion consists in a novel method of producing temperature. Such source may be that de- 60 or perfecting such joints, as well as in certain scribed in my prior patent, No. $7,141 A improved devices that are especially applisleeve, S, or short tube is placed so as to cable to the method hereinafter described. closely envelop the ends of the pipe or over- My invention may be applied to eilecting lap upon the same in any desired way, and its joints between tubes of lead, tin, brass, copedges are best made on a long taper or conical 65 per, iron, 830., or between tubes of any differform at a a, as shown. ft is best, though not cut metals. essential to ajoint, to make one clamp, as D.

A joint produced according to my invention movable toward the other, as by a screw, Z, will stand very high pressures of gas or oil suitably operated.

without leaking, and my invention is there- Assuming that the pieces are in place as '70 fore especially applicable to laying lines of indicated in Fig. l, the current passing from pipe lorconvcying natural gas or oil to a great clamp to clamp soon brings the ends of pipes distance. P I where abutted, and the sleeve 55 either Briefly, my invention consists in bringing to a welding or brazing heat in accordance the ends of the pipe to be united near or in with the principles of myinventions in 0100- 7 abutment with a sleeve or a collar applied at tric welding and soldering. It welding alone the j unctnre, and then passing a heavy elecis to be done, the pipes. are pressed together tric current through the parts of volume with a moderate force, which causes union and sufficient to heat the same to a welding, brazwelding of their abutted ends in the middle ing, or soldering temperature, so as to permit of the sleeve S. This alone would give tight So the sleeve to be firmly united to the ends of joint; butl prcienbesides, to weld the sleeve S. the pipes by welding through pressure or or at least that portion of it which thinned hammering, or by brazing or soldering, with at a a, to the sides of the pipes P P. This can preferably the application of proper soldering be done by very rapid andlight hainineublows 5 or brazing materials. delivered around the pipes and sleeve edge at 85 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 a a alter these parts have reached the welding shows in side elevation an apparatus that may heat. Compression of these parts will also be used in practicing my invention, the pipes produce a like result. to be joined being shown in place Fig. 2 is Instead of welding thejoint,it maybe brazed an end View of the apparatus. Fig. 3 illusor soldered. In this case the parts are, during 90 trates one stage of the preferred method of or after heating, coated with liar and solder carrying out the invention. Fig. t illustrates applied at a, Fig. 3. If the tubes or pipes are the joint at one stage of modified process. lead or other soft metal, or if a soft-soldered Figs. 5, (l, and 7 show longitudinal sections of joint is to he made, tallow, rosin, or Zinc 5 modified forms of joints. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 chloride is applied, with the usual alloys of 5 illustrate forms of apparatus by which the tin and lead; or hora with brass is used for work maybe rotated while it is in the clamps brazing. for the purpose of facilitating the formation Fig. a shows ajoint C and application of of a uniform and perfect joint. solder at 13. This latter answers well. for iron In Fig. 1 (shown in section) are the two and steel pipe joints. Ifwelldone, thesolden zoo ing gives a firm and strong joint which does not leak. The great advantage of the electric method over the mere application of external heat is in its diffusion through all parts of the 1netal,as the heat is produced all through and internally to the metal and a more uniform heating takes place than can otherwise be obtained.

In Fig. 5 the sleeve S is shown as modified so as to be tapered at its endsboth outwardly and inwardly. It then receives tapered ends of the pipes I? P. The manner of forming thejoints is substantially the same as in the forms Figs. 3 and 4, though simple pressure endwise of the pipes will give a fair welding, suitable for some purposes.

In Fig. 6 pipes with screw sleeves or couplings are shown. In such case the welding or brazing is used to so unite the parts that no leakage takes place, even though the threads do not fit perfectly.

In Fig. 7 the coupling-piece S is shown with an outward conical exterior, over which the ends of the pipes P P are slipped, they being formed with a coned or flaring end for matching the taper on S. For welding, the piece S may best be of steel and the pipes P l? of milder steel or soft iron, for I find that a weld electrically made between iron and steel or mild steel with tool-steel is very strong. Besides, the steel S is stiff enough to keep the bore of the pipe from narrowing at the point during the welding. For'brazing or soldering, the joint Fig. 7 is also a suitable form.

It is desirable in pipe and similar welding or soldering in which all sides have to be treated by hammering or application of solder, &c.,that the piece be capable of rotation either during heating, welding, or soldering or thereafter. This cannot be done in all cases; but it is possible where the ends of the pipe are free and the pipes are straight or unencumbered.

Fig. 8 shows at R It rotary holders for the pieces P 1?, made so as to clamp the latter and to be clamped in the clamps O D, but to be capable of rotation therein. If needed, a crank or wrench, "W, may be used to effect this rotation around the axis of the pieces; but for good work it is desirable that parts It R r0- tate together and not independently. By providing them with gears T T, Fig. 9, matched, and other gears, V V, carried on a rotary shaft in suitable bearings, any motion imparted to R to rotate it will be carried to R, or vice versa. The parts R R must be insulated electrically, as by the use of interposed insulation at I between parts of the shaft upon which V V are carried.

Fig. 10 shows the insulation I as located between two flanges formed on the shaft X,which is made in two parts screwed together by insulated screws in the flanges.

The pieces of pipe P P, with the sleeve S carried thereby, may then be rotated together for hammering all round, or for inspection on all sides during the operation of joining in accordance with my invention.

The improvement in the method of soldering or brazing which consists in passing an electric current through the material to be brazed, and of a volume sufficient by its passage to raise the parts to brazing or soldering temperature, is not herein claimed, as it forms the subject of a separate application for patent filed by me August 22, 1887, Serial No. 247,507.

I have described one manner of passing the electric current through the material at the joint; but it will be understood that the parts might be included in the circuit of an electric current, so that the current would pass through the same in other directions, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I make no claim herein to the combination, with the sections of pipe, of the tapered sleeve or tube S, united thereto by electric welding or soldering, as this will form the subject of a separate application for patent. Nor do I claim herein an electric welding or soldering apparatus having rotary chucks orholders provided with means for causing simultaneous equal rotation thereof, as this device likewise will be embodied in a separate patent.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- '1. The herein-described method of uniting sections of pipe, consisting in applying asleeve or collar or coupling-tube to the adjoining ends of the sections, and then passing a heavy electric current through the parts to effect a union of the sleeve and pipe, thus completing the joint. 7

2. The herein'desoribed method of making pipe-joints, consisting in passing a heavy electric current, as described, through the sleeve or collar or coupling at the abutting ends of the pipes, and of a volume sufficient to raise the parts to welding temperature, and then welding the sleeve or its equivalent and the pipes together, as and for the purpose 'described.

Signed at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, this 18th day of August, A. 1D 1887.

ELIHU THOMSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE STUART, OTIS K. STUART.

IIO 

